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Kikuo Saito Abstract Paintings

Japanese, 1939-2016
With ties to the Color Field tradition, Saito’s color landscapes are a richly infused exhibition of dragged and poured paint, often with bold flecks of color, animated calligraphic line, and stenciled lettering. Influenced by his work in theatre, many of his compositions are directly related to the movements and lights found on stage, as is the case with Crocodile Boogie. Japanese born and trained Kikuo Saito (1939–2016) moved to New York in 1966 where he worked as a carpenter while acting as studio assistant to Helen Frankenthaler, Kenneth Noland, and Larry Poons. Saito had long association with La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club in New York creating costumes, set design, and directing. His productions drew inspiration from traditional and avant-garde Japanese theatre. Saito's paintings and are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Aldrich Contemporary Museums, and numerous private and corporate collections. KinoSaito, a non-profit museum and art space in Verplanck, New York, opened in 2020, in honor of Saito's interdisciplinary practice and spirit.
(Biography provided by Taylor Graham)
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Artist: Kikuo Saito
Spanish Ghost
By Kikuo Saito
Located in Austin, TX
Acrylic on canvas. Signed, dated, and titled verso. 52.25 x 52.75 in. 54 x 54.25 in. (framed) Custom framed in a maple hardwood floater. Provenance Salander O’Reilly Galleries, New York Private Collection, Connecticut Provenance Estate of Samuel Feinstein...
Category

1980s Color-Field Kikuo Saito Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Crimson
By Kikuo Saito
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Kikuo Saito was a color field painter, set designer, and theater director, who began his career as a studio assistant for some of the most preeminent painters of the 1970s and ‘80s, including Larry Poons, Kenneth Noland, and Helen Frankenthaler. Saito’s works are bright and calligraphic, often covered in gestural strokes of color, drips of paint, and stenciled capital letters. Before turning to painting, Saito was a resident at New York’s La MaMa Experimental Theater Club, and collaborated on set design with directors and choreographers like Robert Wilson, Peter Brook...
Category

20th Century Abstract Expressionist Kikuo Saito Abstract Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Oil

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Kikuo Saito abstract paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Kikuo Saito abstract paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by Kikuo Saito in paint, canvas, fabric and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 21st century and contemporary and is mostly associated with the abstract style. Not every interior allows for large Kikuo Saito abstract paintings, so small editions measuring 53 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Larry Poons, Jack Roth, and Rex Yuasa. Kikuo Saito abstract paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $60,000 and tops out at $148,500, while the average work can sell for $115,000.

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